He’s still standin’ after all this time.
Elton John has revealed why he isn’t “giving up hope” after completely losing sight in his right eye from a serious infection last year.
“It’s been devastating,” John, 78, told Variety in a cover story published this week. “Because I lost my right eye and my left eye’s not so good, the last 15 months have been challenging for me because I haven’t been able to see anything, watch anything, read anything.”
The singer first contracted an eye infection while vacationing in the South of France last summer. Although both eyes were affected, he ultimately lost sight in his right.
Although the infection has hindered the Grammy winner’s ability to see, John hasn’t given up hope about eventually regaining his vision.
“I’ve had the most incredible life, and there is hope,” he told the outlet. “I’ve just gotta be patient, that someday science will help me with this one. Once they help me with this one, I’ll be fine.”
“You mustn’t give up hope, you must be stoic, you must be strong and you must always try and batter the door down to try and improve things,” the “I’m Still Standing” crooner, who previously underwent a double knee replacement, added.
John went on to express gratitude that he can still sing and play the piano before thanking his family for supporting him amid his various health problems.
John entered a civil partnership with his longtime partner, David Furnish, in 2005. The pair later married in 2014, and have since welcomed sons Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12.
“I mean, you just have to grin and bear it. It does get me down sometimes,” he shared. “But on the whole, I’ve got a wonderful family; I have two great kids; I have [Furnish].”
John also credited some of his famous rock star friends with helping him along the way as well, saying he’s grateful for the love he’s recieved from the like of Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
The music legend revealed the shocking news about his vision in a statement on Instagram in September 2024.
“Over the summer, I’ve been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye,” he shared with fans at the time.
“I am healing,” John added, “but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.”
This story originally appeared on New York Post and is republished here with permission.
